Course Name

Microshaping

Begins

Jan 2012

Teacher
Mentor

Kate Mallatratt
Sachiko Eubanks, Elizabethanne Stevens

Outline

Microshaping was developed by Kay Laurence in 2003. It encompasses the benefits of free shaping - where the dog self teaches under your guidance, and the precision that is often missing when you cannot lure. The aim of micro shaping is to maintain a 90-100% reinforcement rate on every behaviour through every step of the increasing criteria. This is as close as we can practically get to error-free learning.

In this course you will learn excellent observation skills and truly enhance your ability to break down the behaviour and build learning patterns.

You will require some understanding of clicker training and have experience free shaping behaviours.

No of lessons: 6

Fee: £185

ClassRoom Time
Dates

 Saturdays 5-7pm (GMT/UTC) 7 Jan, 21 Jan, 4  Feb, 18 Feb, 3 Mar, 17 Mar

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Unit

1: Apprenticeship.
Learning the tools and foundation knowledge

Begins

Apr 2012

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
 

Outline

1. Equipment and correct usage. Leads, short and long lines; collars; collar language; pressure and release actions; harnesses; crates, cages, door gates, beds; travel safety
2. The training cycle. Cues, cues in the environment; changing and adding specific cues; cue discrimination; basic skills of luring, shaping and a target. Reinforcement. How a reinforcer works; types of reinforcers; effectively deliver a reinforcer
3. Training strategies.  Setting up for success; avoiding and how to handle errors. Solutions: Avoid, Ignore, Punish or Address
4. Management strategies. Hands on the dog
5. Effective communication skills. Teaching, listening, marking, take a break

Practical Exercises in this Unit:
Lead walking, multi environment, walking together. Basic recall training. Shaping simple behaviours. Greeting protocols. Management strategies. Parking.

No of Lessons: 8

Fee for this Unit:

• New Student: £195, Whole Course £780, Whole Course Paid in Advance £585 (25% discount)
   
• Previous Collar Student: £146 (25% discount), Whole Course £584. Whole Course Paid in Advance £390 (+25% discount)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Tuesdays 6-8pm (GMT/UTC).
8 lessons: Apr 10, Apr 24, May 15, 29, Jun 12, Jun 26, Jul 10, Jul 24.

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April 2013

Unit

2: For the love of dogs

Begins

Sep 2012

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
 

Outline

1. Connection, relationship and making friends. Being together, out and about and at home; reconnecting, greeting, providing approval; compromise, mutually enjoyable lifestyles;
2. Anatomy, handling, learning the capabilities.
3. Innate and instinctive behaviours. Development and management;
4. Play Games with food, toys. Games playing alone and with you; playing with other dogs; nosework, scent games
5. The Canine Way of Doing Things and Seeing the World. Brain functions: confidence, anxiety, uncertainty, arousal. Seeking learning, memory. Social skills and human interaction
6. Physical fitness. Proprioception skills, flexibility; stamina, exercise
7. Mental fitness. Controlled arousal, relaxation, observation; assessment, mental discipline
8. Who You Need To Be For Your Dog. Self awareness; developing trust and being reliable; managing your energy; mental discipline; your responsibilities, expectation of your society and your dog; developing your ethical platform

Practical Exercises in this Unit
Building connection exercises, spending quality time together. Lure-learning, mobility and observation skills. Playing with your dog: food games, tug training, playing ball, whippits. Fitness training: cavaletti, egg-agility, balance, motor skills. Personal development exercises and self questioning 

No of Lessons: 8

Fee for this Unit:

• New Student: £195, Whole Course £780, Whole Course Paid in Advance £585 (25% discount)
   
• Previous Collar Student: £146 (25% discount), Whole Course £584. Whole Course Paid in Advance £390 (+25% discount)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Tuesdays 6-8pm (GMT/UTC).
8 lessons: from September 2012

Next Course

Sep 2013

Unit

3: Journeyman.
Skilful use and application practice

Begins

Apr 2013

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
 

Outline

1. The Learning Cycle. Planning behaviours. Emotional context in teaching, learning, completion and practise. Duration, reliability and mental stamina. Behavioural fitness - mental and physically. Building a target library. Reinforcement schedules. Patterns of reinforcement and how they pull behaviour. Finishing behaviours. Building fluency. Cues as reinforcers. Developing robust and reliable cue response, default behaviours. Designed errors for learning development. Designing learning environments. Modification tools: desensitisations, counter conditioning
2. Chains and compound behaviours
3. Advanced cues
4. Advanced luring, shaping and targets
5. Individual training project
6. Evidence of learning, data gathering
7. Poisoned cues and repair
8. Examining ethical options
9. Self control, affecting the learner, subtle responses builders

Practical Exercises in this Unit:
Teaching targets: follow, front feet, body. Different emotionally context behaviours: active and passive behaviours, joy in learning. Analysis exercises of reinforcement use, delivery, placement, quality and quantity. Developing performance quality behaviours. Building chains and compound behaviours

No of Lessons: 8

Fee for this Unit:

• New Student: £195, Whole Course £780, Whole Course Paid in Advance £585 (25% discount)
   
• Previous Collar Student: £146 (25% discount), Whole Course £584. Whole Course Paid in Advance £390 (+25% discount)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Tuesdays 6-8pm (GMT/UTC).
8 lessons: from Apr 2013

Next Course

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Unit

4: Master Trainer.
Seeking excellence

Begins

Sep 2013

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
 

Outline

1. Complex reinforcers in compound behaviours
2. Planning learning experiences and the learning process, developing the learner.
3. Teaching complex behaviours: Multi targets; modifier cues, complex cues; conceptual learning; chains and compound behaviours
4. De-constructing unwanted behaviours
5. Adduction
6. Evidence of learning, observation, testing, assessment choices, data gathering
7. Building vulnerable learners
8. Specialist Options:  Teaching People Teaching Dogs, Microshaping, Puppy development, Sport training, For the Love of Training, Breed specialisation, Assistance dog

Practical Exercises in this Unit:
Teaching advanced adduction. Conceptual projects: match to sample, largest smallest, etc. Gathering evidence of learning patterns and preferences. Develop confidence through learning. Specialist options listed are available, other options may be suggested. CAP4 projects for those who have achieved CAP3.

No of Lessons: 8

Fee for this Unit:

• New Student: £195, Whole Course £780, Whole Course Paid in Advance £585 (25% discount)
   
• Previous Collar Student: £146 (25% discount), Whole Course £584. Whole Course Paid in Advance £390 (+25% discount)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Tuesdays 6-8pm (GMT/UTC).
8 lessons: from September 2013

Next Course

tba